Farmer drought help in $10k Wardell fundraiser

The roughly 850 residents have raised more than $10,000 – in less than a week – for families in the New England.

That has gone to the Salvation Army to be distributed among people in the region who need a hand.

Wardell District Fundraiser for Farmers organiser James Kingdom said he was “gobsmacked” at the outpouring of generosity.

The money was raised in a charity auction, monster raffle and cash donations.

“For a small community such as Wardell to be able to raise an amount of $10,000-plus for the fundraiser is an indication of the type of community who live here,” he said.

“We may be a little village, but we are a community who care.”

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Salvation Army rural chaplain Di Lawson said the people of Wardell had done “a phenomenal job”.

For a small community like that to be able to raise in excess of $10,000 is just incredible,” she said.

“That will be converted into universal cash cards that can be utilised in the local businesses.

“We believe that cash is the best way of assisting people: it not only assists the farmer but also the local business, rather than bringing product in from outside the area and the local businesses missing out.”

Mr Kingdom said this region had been chosen because parts of it were directly west of Wardell, and because he has links to it.

“I’m a Barraba boy: I was born there, and so were my father and my grandfather,” he said.

“I’m 70 now and moved away when I was just a child, but I still have relatives there.”

The cards are available to people living in Tamworth, Armidale, Inverell, Glen Innes, Tenterfield and the surrounding areas.